A Corded Petticoat

So I'm only now really getting back my own sewing mojo after a prolonged period of commercial sewing and other stresses. The feeling of sewing for pleasure again, with no deadline or pressure is rather nice! But kind of slow going so I apologise for the lack of posts :)

I ended up picking up a project that I had gathered the materials for about four years ago and then left in a bag at the bottom of a box, a corded petticoat.

I've been thinking of making a late 1820s / early 1830s dress with some yummy gold silk that I have so I made this corded petticoat with that silhouette in mind. I'm pretty sure though that it will be useful for lots of eras!

I used cotton sheeting and had a whole roll of cotton piping cord, about 1/4" thick, and ended up pre-washing both, just in case. For the cord I took it off the roll and dunked it into a sink of hot water and left it there for a while crossing my fingers that it wouldn't get too tangled between washing and drying!

I did a bit of research and it seemed that corded petticoats were most successful when not too full so I decided on an 86" circumference for my petticoat. There are a few ways of making a corded petticoat but what I went with was to sew up my panels completely into the skirt and then corded it. If you leave one seam undone, cord it flat and then sew that final seam up it can cause it to dip in a funny way.

I made the petticoat about 20" longer than I needed and then simply folded the extra up, put the first row of piping cord in that fold and then each subsequent row was sewn between the two layers.

It takes longer than you think, even with a piping foot! I didn't go too far up as it was a 20s/30s look I was going for but when I make one for an 1840s impression I'll go right the way up close to the waist.

It gives quite a nice effect, not too pronounced but definitely adds volume where it's needed! So that's it, just a nice simple petticoat :)

HSF '15 #3: 1850s Velvet Cape

This weekend I'm heading off on the IHC's annual historical house party at the gorgeous Coopershill House in Sligo. We privately hire the 18th c country house and spend the weekend pretending to be lords and ladies complete with candlelit dinners and canopied beds! :) Expect a post on it soon!

Although I had lots of elaborate plans for new gowns in the end I decided to take the pressure off and only make one thing which I sorely needed, some warm outerwear. As this month's challenge was "Stashbusting" it fitted perfectly with my plans to make a warm cape out of the leftover fabric from my bedroom blind! It was all I had that was remotely suitable and at first I wasn't too keen on it but once it was cut out I fell in love with it! So I hope you like it too!

The velvet was as velvet always is, a bit of a pain to work with and walked around the place a bit but I more or less got it to behave with lots of tacking from the get go. I wanted it to be warm so I interlined it with cotton domette which looks almost exactly like cotton batting but is much cheaper. It makes it snugly warm! It's then lined in black cotton calico.

The trim is taken from a fashion plate that is shown in the book alongside the pattern and dates from the same period. I really like the effect of the two widths of black velvet ribbon against the red.

My trim is inspired by the lady on the right

I really wanted to make a muff to go with it, I even got some cute tassels, but I haven't got around to that yet.

What the item is: An 1850s Cape

The Challenge: Stashbusting

Fabric: Some sort of textured velvet interlined with cotton domette which is very like batting but half the price and lined in black cotton calico

Stashed for?: Originally it was to make some cushions to match the blind but that was never going to happen! Had it about two or three years.

Pattern: I used a pattern from Jean Hunnisett's book "Period Costume for Stage and Screen", pattern sheet no. 18a. It's a pattern taken from an original garment, an 1850s green velvet cape. All I changed was a slight adjustment to the shoulder seam so it sat better on me and I added a collar similar to one in the fashion plate.

Year: approx. 1854

Notions: Velvet ribbon, three fur/coat hook and eyes

How historically accurate is it? The pattern is taken from an original garment, the fabric is sort of accurate I think and the trim, although polyester, is taken straight from a fashion plate of the same year. It's machined but it is 1854 so I'm going to say I can get away with that so maybe 90% historically accurate.

Hours to complete: Hmm spent a week tipping away at it a few hours here and there each day. I was rather slow and unhurried about it.

First worn: This weekend!

Total cost: The velvet outer fabric was from the stash but the domette interlining, cotton lining and ribbon I bought so about €40 probably.

Some Project Plans for 2015

I have a feeling that, mostly for economic reasons, this will be a stash busting year. I'm going to try to limit myself to projects that I can make from what I already have. I do have lots of fabric but nothing much longer than 3 or 4 metres so I guess it'll be all regency type dresses and not splendid early bustle poofy confections! I do have several Regency themed events coming up in the near future so it all fits quite nicely.

So I typed all that yesterday and then today I promptly went out to a local fabric shop to finally snap up some fabric that I had been humming and hawing about forever, on the last day of their winter sale, for a Victorian fashion plate recreation that I have been thinking about for years!

It's a pink and white candy striped cotton for a dress based on the pink and white natural form outfit that is in the masthead of this blog. All I need now is to find a plain pink for the underskirt and accents and I'm all set! The stripes are narrower than in the fashion plate but I don't think I could pull off wide stripes and this was handy and not too expensive so 3mm stripes it is!

I found a close up of the fashion plate and discovered that what I thought were pleats all around the overskirt are actually tassels! I wasn't too sure how I felt about that but after reading a great article from Your Wardrobe Unlockd on how to easily make yards of tassels I think I'll just go the whole hog! I can see myself spending long evenings tasseling but it'll definitely make for a more unusual dress! Oh! Maybe this will fit nicely in with the June HSF theme "Out of your comfort zone", making millions of tassels is not something I've done before, whether it'll all get done by then though I don't know.

Millions of tassels...

The other stuff I have on the list to make, and that I have all the fabrics for already, include...

- A cream linen long sleeved regency day dress
- A white cotton voile regency short sleeved / ball type dress
- A gold silk regency ball gown
- A spencer or Pelisse in either a blue velvet or a blue linen
- A regency bonnet or hat
- A brown linen 14th century kirtle and veil/head dress

Some of the Regency stuff will need to be made first and there will be more on those in future posts. What will actually get made remains to be seen! I don't want to rush anything or put myself under too much pressure, there's been enough of that the last six months, so we'll see what happens! 

Historical Sew Monthly 2015: #1 Foundations

I've always wanted to participate in the HSF but never had the time so when I saw the HSF changed to a monthly challenge for 2015 I thought I'd give it a go.

I'm slightly late in posting this but I did get it made in time, just wasn't able to get photos done until now! In the end I gave up on getting proper ones of it on so please excuse the slightly crappy iphone photos!

The first challenge fitted in nicely with my project list as I needed to make a bodiced petticoat to go under a Regency dress that I will making soon. I am quite small chested and didn't want to bother with stays so I hoped this would provide me with super-comfortable support.

 I reckoned the trick for me to getting some Austen era shelf-yness was basically to push everything from the bottom up with a few well placed darts until I got something resembling apples on a tray. And it worked! It was more reminiscent of breast binding than "lift and separate" but if it gave me some bosom to heave I didn't mind! And it is comfortable too.

I wanted it to be washable and very easy care so I didn't bother with any boning and just made it to button up the back. I did however use a layer of coutil as my lining in the bodice. I have to have it pretty snug to get the effect and didn't want the fabric to stretch. I found the coutil gave plenty of support and firmness to the bodice on it's own. I don't know if this was the best way of going about things but it seemed to work fine and everything stays in place. I am slightly wondering if I should have boned the back and laced it but worst comes to worst I can replace the back panel and do that. I wanted to be able to throw this in the washing machine so was hoping to get away with it without that.

The back of the bodice

I referred to Zip Zips tutorial in using the Sense and Sensibility regency pattern for making a bodiced petticoat with a few modifications along the way. I also referred to Your Wardrobe Unlockd's article on Regency petticoats. I had a lot of fitting to do to make it truly fit but now I should have a good base bodice pattern for all my future regency projects.

I also realised I can fasten it at the front and then swivel it around to the back and then put my arms through the straps and wriggle it up with a few adjustments so I can even dress myself to levels of decency before having to ask for help which is good.
I also included a few good sized tucks at the hem to help it hold it's shape and because I like the look of them :)

The Challenge: Foundations

Fabric: Cotton sheeting, coutil from the stash

Pattern: Based on the S&S regency dress bodice pattern and Zip Zips bodiced petticoat tutorial, with modifications

Year: The shaping is 1810-ish but could be used for earlier or later

Notions: Four buttons

How historically accurate is it? It's machine sewn and I'm not too sure if a bodiced petticoat was often used in place of stays but the general shape is pretty authentic I guess. Done as a quick job with a few time saving short cuts so not quite the neatest petticoat ever.

Hours to complete: This was something I picked up and put down many times and just worked on gradually but including fiddling around to fit the bodice and a few mock ups would probably take 6 or 7 hrs or so.

First worn: Other than dancing around my bedroom it has yet to be worn!

Total cost: Around €20

Gratuitous cat pic

Natural Form Bonnet

So while I didn't get all the sewing done over the Christmas break that I had envisioned, I did make a hat. I've long admired Lynn McMasters' natural form era bonnet patterns for the period 1877-1882 and wanted to make one to go with my mink natural form outfit. I used view B for my hat.

It all took a bit longer than I had allowed for and is a bit bigger than I thought it would be but I'm pretty pleased with the result all the same. It's made of a double layer of buckram, which was then wired and padded before being covered with ivory silk taffeta. It's all pretty solid and substantial!

 

I learned a neat way of keeping it on your head too, essential for this design as it doesn't actually "fit" on your head as such but more or less perches. I took a short piece of crinoline tape, folded it, gathered the ends and sewed it into the brim of the hat before I trimmed it. Now I can use hair grips to pin through the crinoline and my hair to keep it on my head! While I have several hat pins I'm terrified of using them, more out of fear of putting gigantic holes in my hat than my head, so I'm hoping this will be enough to make it secure!

Crinoline sewn to the inside to pin hair grips through

Period House Party 2014!

Coopershill House

Next March I have an event coming up which is very exciting! A whole weekend away staying in a beautiful 18th century country house (Coopershill in Sligo) with 12 other crazy costumers! We have booked the whole house out and are having our very own, fully costumed, period weekend house party!

It's all candlelit four course dinners, log fires, canopied beds, afternoon tea and croquet on the lawn :) Obviously one needs some splediferous new clothes to wear for such an event! *Technically* I guess I have enough outfits to keep me decent at it as it is but of course I want one or two new things :) At least this way if my ambitious plans don't come to fruition I still have other outfits to fall back on. Stressful deadlines are not to be had for this!

My room!

I'm planning on having two evening outfits and one day outfit, that is we arrive on the Friday evening and have dinner, then there is Saturday day time where I want something walking length and practical-ish, and then Saturday evening we'll be having our main evening event of dinner with music and (hopefully) a little dancing! Then there is Sunday morning, but I am less concerned with that.

Another of the beautiful bedrooms

The two evening oufits I more or less already have. On Friday I am planning on wearing my blue silk early bustle with the evening bodice. Everything is already made however the bodice needs some modification (major shrinking bodice syndrome, this was one of the first bodices I had ever made and I used a way too thick modern interlining, never again!) and lots of trim, but I think I can manage that.

On Saturday I am planning on wearing my mink natural form gown with an evening bodice that is yet to be made. But again, totally manageable! Also I am definitely going to acquire a tiara for this! Saturday night I have decided I am a pretty pretty princess!

Saturday day time I am undecided. I don't want anything with a train and I want to be able to move and be relatively comfortable for the day and our activities. I'm going to go with either a hooped dress c1850s - 1860s, an early bustle walking length polonaise or a late bustle outfit. I also want to make some outer wear like a mantle or coat to go with it and of course headwear. It is going to be March and fairly chilly. Other things I would like to make include another chemise/drawer set and ideally a new corset. Plus I want to make something for a friend who is going. Hmm.. well the imagining is always fun!

Natural Form Era Skirt and Petticoat Train

Once again life has taken over the last few weeks and I have neglected the blog! I got a last minute commission from Dublin Castle to make costumes for their Christmas programme which took over three weeks of my life but was immensely enjoyable and satisfying :) Expect a post about that soon!

In the mean time I have made the skirt for the mink silk natural form outfit and the petticoat train finally got buttons so I can show you that too.

Natural Form Petticoat with Button-on Train

This is the new TV 125 NF petticoat pattern. I think I actually love the petticoat and train more than that actual skirt! It's all those ruffles and lace..

Also effective for sweeping floors and amusing cats!

Tiger is very pleased with his new cat toy

So far I have left the skirt plain although I may change that, I'm not sure. Was going to layer a few ruffles onto it but will wait until I have the over-skirt done to see if it needs it. I quite like the simpler look, although that might be my 21st century sensibilities taking over!

I have also pretty much made the bodice, and remade it several times as right at the end I decided I needed tiny piping! I love tiny piping :) All of which meant that by the time of the event it was due for, an afternoon tea at the lovely Victorian Royal Marine Hotel, I was literally sewn into my bodice! No time for buttons! And I am actually going to open up the lining again and redo the centre front as despite my best efforts it has a definite case of the "shrinking bodice" effect, probably due to all the interlining. So please excuse the terrible pull lines, lack of an over-skirt and *gasp* even worse, lack of a hat! More on the bodice later :)

It was a very fun event with the lovely Debbie of Artisan Alchemy and Andrea of Aphrodite's Trousseau and all our costuming group friends. Everyone looked beautiful!